‘Tis the season. Not the holiday season anymore, but everyone’s second favorite: Dance Marathon season. Now, of course, for those of us behind the scenes, Dance Marathon is a full year thing. It’s not just six hours of fun or a week of fundraising. But now it’s January, and Carmel DM is fewer than six weeks away. So the purpose of today’s blog is more than just to keep you awake during class; it’s to give you the opportunity to help the children of Riley Hospital, whether you’re a CHS student, parent or stranger stumbling upon this page.

For the students, the best way to help would be to participate in DM on February 23. All you have to do is fill out one of the packets from the Activities Office and raise $90. At first it seems like a lot of money, but it’s amazing how many people are willing to give if you’re willing to ask. Especially if you do it online through FirstGiving. Sign up here to begin your fundraising. All you have to do is send the link out to your friends, relatives and anyone else you know so they can help you with your personal goal, which for many is far more than $90. Plus, this is only one way among many you can fundraise. Completed packets are due January 30, but the minimum $90 isn’t required until the day of the actual event. So, if you start now, that gives you about a month and a half to be able to take part in something unique to this school. Yes, other high schools have Dance Marathons, but nothing quite like ours.

Now that I’ve explained how you can participate, you might be wondering why. Not only is CDM some of the most fun six hours ever, but it’s inspiring too. Between learning the line dance, eating free food and spending the night with your friends, you get to hear the stories of real Riley kids from the kids and families themselves. You get to see how your help has affected the lives of hundreds of kids and make a difference right here in your community. Oh, and the whole time you get to be a part of continuing both Ryan White’s and Ashley Crouse’s legacies. (There’s so much I could say about both of them, but let’s just say they’re two people worth being honored. A Google search on either of them  would be a good idea, and maybe I’ll explain their importance another day.) And if that isn’t enough, you get a free shirt. Which students, if you look around, are wearing every single day for years after the event.

Continuing on to non-CHS students. If you’re a parent, encourage your kids to participate and keep in mind we have DMs at all the CCS middle schools during the semester, too. To anyone reading this, help CHS students that you know by donating or providing other ways for them to raise money. If you are so excited about the cause and want to donate, you can donate to my page right now. Oh, and if you own a business or know someone interested in being a corporate sponsor email me at [email protected], and we can talk about the added perks of being a corporate sponsor.

This post may seem like me just asking for money, but I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing this for the children at Riley Hospital. As we like to say, we dance for the kids who can’t, and your money makes this possible. It’s not about the total, it’s about improving the lives of as many kids at Riley as possible. So, I hope to see you all there in some way on February 23.

As I mentioned before, DM season really starts going this month. This Friday, January 18, we have the Basketball Tailgate. $5 for pizza, a drink and a fun time before the basketball game against Terre Haute South. And you get a Paradise cookie. Yum! Find a Cabinet member or Senator to buy one this week or buy one at the door on Friday in the Freshman Cafeteria. Also, keep listening for food fundraisers. We have one coming up soon, plus Chick-fil-A after that. Oh and we’ll be selling Coldstone during lunch on some Fridays, so be sure to have some cash with you. So many delicious things to buy and eat while helping the kids! 😛

Alright, well there’s my first of many DM posts. I hope all you students will be able to participate this year because it’s something you won’t regret.

Until next time,

Olivia

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